In Noctem
by feles-noctis
Summary: Post Tabula Rasa. Tara moves out. Gets help with her things from an unlikely source. Friendship ensues. (WIP) (Updated: Chapter 5 now up)
1. Moving out

Disclaimer: All characters are property of Whedon, Mutant Enemy, etc.  
Time: Post Tabula Rasa (right after the episode)

A/N: The title is Latin. It roughly translates into "into the night"

In Noctem

By felesnoctis

December 24, 2004

Tara stared at the closed door for a few moments, lost and alone, before turning her back on her once-family. She'd lost all of them in just one night. But there was no turning back now. No use in crying out here on their doorstep.

She wearily turned to her few boxes of posessions and started piling them so she could carry them all. There wouldn't be coming back later. She carefully piled them together and slowly started her walk to her new residence. She had thought about asking for a ride from Xander, but then realized he was more Willow's friend than hers. So here she was, making her way, alone, along a deserted and poorly lit road in Sunnydale, at night, carrying her few meager posessions in a half-dozen poorly stacked cardboard boxes.

She stopped at a bench outside one of Sunnydale's many cemetaries to rest her aching arms for a minute and to readjust the wobbling boxes. Tara couldn't help letting herself rest for a few minutes longer, trying rather unsuccessfully to hold back the tears, before picking up her boxes and going again. Right now, she didn't even care about being alone outside at night next to a cemetary. Normally she would have been worried about vampires or demons, but tonight she couldn't be bothered. She stood beside her things a few minutes, eyes closed, concentrating on keeping her breath steady and getting the tears back in check.

A drawled, "Well, well, well, what do we have 'ere?" broke the silence of the night and her concentration on her internal struggle immediately shifted to the external. She opened her eyes to see Spike standing only a few yards away, slowly walking towards her. "What are you doin' out on a night like this all by your lonesome?" he scowled. She looked at him for a moment before ducking her head. "Figured you'd be home snuggling with your witch after that whole forgettin' thing," he said from his position directly next to her. She couldn't hold back the tears at his last comment, and she started to cry again. Even though she tried to stop, she couldn't help it. "Hey now, what's all this for?" He cautiously placed a hand on her shoulder, unsure of what her reaction would be.

Tara proceeded to collapse onto the bench beside her boxes and once again to try to hold back the sobs. Spike simply stood there a moment, not completely sure as to why the witch was out alone and crying. "...Witch? ...Glinda? ...Tara?" he cautiously asked. She finally looked up at him with puffy eyes. "What happened, pet?" he asked as he sat beside her, concern in his voice, arm around her shoulder.

"T-t-the spell. I-i-it was W-w-w-willow." Spike couldn't tell if she was stuttering because she was upset or nervous being alone with him. Either way, she was in bad shape and probably shouldn't be left alone out here.

"The forgetting spell?" She nodded. "Red did that?" Another nod.

She fought back more tears as she tried to explain. "S-s-she did it. Again. A-after she said she w-w-wouldn't do any m-m-more spells." She wouldn't look anywhere except at her hands, which were fluttering about nerviously in her lap.

Spike put his hands on hers, stilling them. "She did a forgetting spell before tonight?" he asked quietly, beginning to understand why she was so upset. She nodded. "Who on?" he asked quietly. She started sobbing loudly again, moving her hands from his to cover her face.

He couldn't help but notice her hand that had been broken by a certain hell-god had never healed properly. He could see the permanent reminder of when she let her mind be taken to protect Dawn. And now someone she cared about had been the one to take her memories from her. And from her reaction, it wasn't the first time Red had done it to her. Sure, he was still upset about Buffy kissing him and running off again, but this was much more damaging to a person than that. It wasn't just playing with emotions, it was playing with her mind. He had been intending to simply keep walking and ignore her, but then he had heard her crying and coudln't stop himself from going to her.

He sat silently with her for a while, just rubbing her back, until he remembered that they were sitting outside in Sunnydale at night with no real protection besides his fists. She didn't even have a cross on and he doubted there were any weapons in her boxes. "Come on, pet. Let me help you get settled wherever you're goin'. You got a place to stay?" Tara looked up at him a few moments, at first confused, and then considering. Spike just offered to help her. Spike. The one that everyone said was an evil, soul-less demon. The one who had tried to kill her friends - no Willow's friends - on many occasions. _The one who stayed and helped for an entire summer, even though Buffy was dead. The one who had punched her in the nose to prove that she wasn't a demon. The one who had, time and again, come to their rescue._ The one who was sitting here, talking with her, offering to help her even though he didn't have any reason to.

She dried her eyes as best she could and offered him a weak smile. "Thank you, Spike. That would be nice," she managed weakly, to her relief without stuttering once. He returned the smile and picked up most of the boxes, leaving her a couple of the smaller ones. "I-I was just going to stay at o-o-one of the hotels tonight. I'll start l-looking for someplace tomorrow." She looked at her shoes as she stood on the sidewalk, "I didn't have much time to plan," she added quietly.

Spike nodded at this and thought a moment. "Well, the closest place is a few blocks from here if we cut through the cemetary. That work for you?" He watched as Tara peeked up at him and nodded. "This way then." And he started slowly across the cemetary, making sure to go slow enough for his companion in the dim light.

Luckily, they reached the hotel without running into anyone or anything else. Spike made sure that she got to the hotel and was settled in her room before turning to leave. She stopped him in the doorway with a subdued "Spike?" He turned back from the doorway to see her huddled on the bed with the few boxes on the floor beside her. She was looking at him intently for a moment before shyly adding, "Thanks."

He smiled at her, a bit surprised at her thoughtfulness, before answering, "Any time, pet. Just let me know when you find a place and I'll help you move in, alright?" She smiled at him again and nodded. He smiled back and quietly closed the door behind himself as he walked the short distance back to his crypt in a much better mood than he had been in.

Tara sat on the bed, no energy to even turn off the lights Spike had turned on for her. She smiled to herself at the thought of how nice he had been, even though she had been crying her eyes out to him. Then it hit her: she had left. She had actually packed up and left everything behind. Of course, right now all she had in the world was in this dingy room with her. Dawn wouldn't even look at her when she left. Willow had stayed in the bathroom the entire time and wouldn't even acknowledge her. And all the others, they were Willow's friends, really. She'd just borrowed them. She was alone. Completely alone. Tara ended up crying herself to sleep.


	2. Moving in

Tara hardly slept at all that night. She kept waking up from nightmares she couldn't seem remember. Eventually she gave up on sleep and ended up just flipping through the channels watching infomertials. She got up and started looking for a new place to live as soon as the sun came up, checking every one of the rental places in town. It took her the entire day and walking to almost all of the apartments in Sunnydale, but she managed to find a place that wasn't too expensive or too far from campus and was still - relatively - safe. And it was availalbe for her to move into immediately. Unfortunately, it took her longer than she had thought it would to find a place and fill out all the paperwork.

She managed to reach the Magic Box before it got too late, but ended up standing outside dreading entering for quite a while. Eventually, she took a deep breath and prepared for the worst. Anya was behind the counter, as always, and Dawn was sitting at the table, apparently doing homework. Surprisingly Xander was there too. Then again, it was getting late and he was probably there to go home with Anya. Dawn jumped up at seeing Tara and ran over to give her a hug. "Tara!"

"Hi Dawnie. You doing b-better?" She nerviously asked, her stutter returning with her unease, unsure of her welcome anymore without Willow. Xander gave her a friendly smile and waved and Anya gave her a grin, even pausing a moment to do so while helping a customer. A wave of relief rushed over her as she realized that they weren't upset about her being there even after everything with Willow. She had hoped they would be, but had been expecting the worst. Dawn enthusiastically nodded at her, bouncing a bit in place. "I just wanted to g-give you my new address," she said, looking at Dawn and Xander and Anya in turn.

"New address? Wow. I'm impressed you managed to find a place so fast," Xander mused out loud. She gave him a lopsided grin.

"It took a bit, but yeah, I managed to find a place."

She spent the next half hour explaining where her new place was and avoiding the topic of Willow around Dawn the exact reasons that she had moved out. Tara ended up being talked into a big movie and milkshake fun day for the next afternoon with her to make up for everything and to make sure there were no hard feelings, which she gladly agreed to. Then Dawn had hurried home, not wanting to be late for supper or get into trouble with her guardians. She quickly packed up her things and left, leaving Tara with Anya and Xander. They managed to get her to talk through everything that had happened to make her move out, especially what was going on with Willow. They didn't try to convince her she had been wrong, in fact it seemed like they understood where she was coming from and agreed with her, but didn't want to take sides against Willow, and she didn't try to convince them to either. She gave her new address to them and left to hopefully get settled into her new place before dark. She exited the Magic Box and realized just how late it was. It was getting close to dark, far closer than she had realized. Checking her watch only confirmed that she had spent quite a bit more time in the Magic Box than she had originally intended. Everything seemed to be taking longer than she thought it would. She stood and thought about what all she had left to do yet before she was finished for the day. Making up her mind on her next course of action, she quickly took off for her new destination.

Spike awoke to the sound of a timid knock at his door. No one knocked. Ever. Cautiously he went to the door, with a hastily found weapon saftely in hand. Not quite sure what to expect, he was surprised when he found a very nervious Tara standing outside, staring at her shoes, the sun setting in the sky behind her. She glanced up at him through a curtain of hair, gnawing on her lip. He looked at her questioningly, not quite sure what to make of her. "I-I-I just wanted to let you know I found a place. O-Other than the hotel. Didn't want you to worry or anything." She offered him a folded piece of paper. "Here's the address, in case you want to know." He took it from her hesitantly, not quite sure why she was giving him her address.

He was a bit surprised that she had thought to let him know what was happening with her life, especially since he hadn't really talked with her much. Not letting himself dwell on it, he decided to accept the friendly offering and try to get her to be a bit less nervious around him. She didn't used to be quite so nervious, but since the spell, he hadn't seen her not jittery. "Got all settled in then?" he asked as he guestured her inside. She gave him a small smile and walked in, surprising him by her polite behavior. He walked back to his chair and sat down again, waving her to the couch after he noticed she hadn't moved from her spot just inside the door. She shyly walked over and sat down, studiously looking at her hands clasped in her lap.

"Not yet. I d-d-didn't have time yet. I just - I wanted to catch you. Before you went out f-f-for the night. To let you know. A-And to thank you for yesterday."

He thought about this for a few moments. She would be out at night again without anyone to help her and would probably be lost in her own little world. He realized this bothered him a bit, since she was the only one of the Scoobies who seemed to treat him decently. He looked her over before suddenly getting up and grabbing his jacket. She stood with him and looked at him, clearly confused. He gave her a grin and walked towards her. "Well, let's go get you settled, then. Wouldn't do to have you wandering around all by your lonesome again, would it?" She looked at him, a bit confused at first, then consideringly, but finally consented by giving him a small grin. He figured that she hadn't been looking forward to moving her things in the dark again, but had felt it was important to make sure she saw Spike before he went out. He was almost touched by her niceness toward him. He had thought she had decided to let him, but then again surprised him by thinking of others first.

"Thank you, Spike. B-but you don't have to do that. I'm sure you're b-busy."

"Know that. I want to help. Gives me somethin' to do. Let's get you moved in." She pondered this a moment before nodding and leading the way back to the hotel.

He had insisted on carrying most of the boxes again while Tara was left to check out of the hotel and was allowed to take a couple of the lighter boxes. She hadn't thought about how much stuff she had actually gotten rid of when she had moved into the Summers' house, but now, looking at the few boxes her things fit into, it hit her just how little she had actually kept. She silently led them along the streets, going farther and farther from the nicer parts of town. During the entire trip, Tara tried to think of something to say to Spike, but she couldn't come up with anything that seemed appropriate, so instead she kept quiet. Spike's mood had initially been his normal cockiness, but seemed to darken the closer they got to her apartment and the farther they got from the expensive parts of town. He seemed more jumpy about things in the shadows the longer they walked. She knew it wasn't the safest place, but it had been all she could find that she could afford and was available immediately, especially while trying to keep up with classes. She hoped she wasn't taking up too much of his time by accepting his offer, even though the apartment was almost on the other side of town from his crypt.

She lead him into her building and down the narrow stairs to her basement apartment. "Just a sec.... need to find my keys," she sheepishly offered to his semi-annoyed look while they waited outside her door, Spike shifting the boxes in his hands. She finally got the key in the lock and the door open after almost dropping them with her jittery hands. She immediatly walked in, setting down her boxes beside one of the chairs, and, without a pause or looking back, said, "C-come on in, Spike, and set those by the sofa, please," as she took one of her boxes to the kitchen area. He stood, somewhat stunned, in her doorway. She hadn't even hesitated to invite her in. After not hearing him follow her in, she turned, looking confused as to why he was still in the doorway. "Spike?"

He shook his head and gave her a smile. "'s nothin, pet. Didn't expect an invite, 's all." He walked in and looked around the small, dingy apartment appraisingly, notoing the array of furniture and other small items already in the apartment. Of course, almost none of them looked like they would be something the quiet witch would have purchased. "How'd you luck out with all the furnishings?" he asked finally, after setting his boxes down.

She answered absently while grabbing one of the boxes he had been carrying, rummaging through it as she searched for something. "Oh, they, um, they came with the place. The last tenant left it behind." A slight pause and a dip of the head to hide behind her hair was followed with, "I-I didn't ask why." She looked up at him nerviously, both already knowing why someone would leave behind their things when they 'moved out'. He only nodded back, still seeming to be lost in thought. "I-I don't have much, and I'm sure you're busy, but if you want, I-I could make some tea," she paused for a response, "or some hot cocoa?" He brightened almost immediately at her mention of hot chocolate. He looked at her and smiled. "That'd be nice, thanks." She smiled back and quickly went about making them something hot to drink, digging a teapot out of the box she was holding. Spike looked around a bit longer before settling himself on one of the ragged-looking chairs in the livingroom area. He could hear Tara as she dug around in a box in the kitchen, apparently looking for the hot chocolate, and started heating the water.

While she was waiting for the water to heat, she went looking for coffee cups. They weren't in the first box, so she went and grabbed another of her boxes and digging out all of the kitchen-type items from it, ending up unpacking most of it onto the counter in the kitchen to find what she was looking for. The entire time, Spike watched her move around, sitting quietly in her livingroom, seemingly thinking. He noticed that she moved with such grace and confidence when she thought no one was looking. He hadn't said much to her, and Tara absently wondered why exactly he was putting up with her when he could be out doing more important things than having hot chocolate with her after already having carried her boxes across town with her.

Eventually the water was heated and she mixed them each a glass of hot chocolate. She brought him over his and offered him a small smile in apology as she handed it to him. "Sorry there aren't any marshmallows, I-I didn't have a chance to get much yet." He took the drink from her, sipping carefully.

"Don't worry 'bout it. Tastes just fine." He seemed so much more subdued and quiet than normal to Tara as he sat in the dingy apartment with her. She smiled at him and sat on the sofa, staring intently into her mug. It was then that it truely hit her. She'd really moved out. She wasn't just gone for a couple days. She had gone out and gotten her own place. She looked up at her guest, glad that he had decided to stay and keep her company for a bit before realizing she wasn't quite sure what to expect from him. Spike sat, sipping at his drink, seeming to be absorbed in thought. She left him alone, letting him remain absorbed in his own thoughts, not wanting to intrude or interrupt.

As they sat there in silence, Tara allowed herself to reflect on the events of the past few days in more depth and detail, and with a bit more detachment. Willow had messed with her mind. At least twice she had messed with her mind. How many other times, she didn't know. She didn't want to think about it. Dawn had seemed so upset when she left that she never expected such a friendly greeting or the plans for the next day. It was nice that Dawn was willing to spend time with her still. She had been worried that the teen would want her completely out of her life. And Anya and Xander had talked with her about everything, Willow using too much magic and the memory spells and everything. That had been wonderful for her, to have them actually listen to her and not want her to act exactly as they wanted all the time. They actually listened to what she had to say.

Spike startled her from her thoughts, his voice quiet and almost shy. "Why'd you invite me in, witch? Don't need your sympathy, if that's the reason." Apparently he had been wondering why she would trust him so much, even though he was a vampire, chipped or not.

She looked up at him, only to see him staring intently at his mug in his hand. "No-No sympathy. I just wanted to thank you. For-for your help. I w-wasn't sure w-what else you'd like," she offered just as quietly. "Plus, it's kinda hard to give you hot chocolate if you're in the doorway," she said, a bit jokingly, hoping it wouldn't upset him. "Besides, you've been so kind to me, it's only fair." He looked up at her then, with a deep sadness evident in his blue eyes, almost like he hadn't been offered a simple act of kindness without something wanted in return for quite a while. As they settled into a comfortable silence again, she realized, he probably hadn't. They had asked so much from him the summer Buffy had been gone, hadn't thanked him hardly at all, and then hardly paid attention to him after bringing Buffy back.

The two of them had talked a few nights that agonizingly long summer, sitting at home with Dawn some nights while the others were out on patrol. He hadn't liked the Bot and, if it was possible, had avoided patrol with it and liked spending time with Dawn without everyone else around. She never complained. She could tell that he cared deeply about her and took watching out for her quite seriously. He would either help her watch Dawn, watch Dawn on his own if the need for her on patrol was great enough, or go out and patrol other graveyards while the others were out. They never talked much during that time, but then like now, she hadn't known what to say. She had been nervious and tried to keep out of the way most of the times he had been over. He had done most of the talking the few times they did talk, and it was usually about little things, like how the patrols were going or some random thing Dawn had told him.

It was like he had been trying to fill the silence, not completely comfortable with it. But now, the silence wasn't quite so uncomfortable. It was like the two of them were lost in their own thoughts, simply enjoying the company of another person without the expectation of conversation. She let her mind drift again, but was startled when she heard Spike say, "Well, pet, 's been nice, but I should be goin'. Don't want to impose on you." He said as he sat his mug on the table in front of him, standing, not looking at her. She looked down at her mug, realizing she still had half a glass and it had gone cold. She must have drifted off and not realized how much time they were sitting there.

"You weren't imposing. I-I like the company." He looked up at her then. She gave him a small smile. "But, I don't w-want to keep you. You're p-probably busy and I'm keeping you from it. You're welcome here whenever, Spike. I don't mind." He gave her a weak grin and a nod before heading for the door.

"Thanks for the cuppa, Glinda," he said as he opened the door. "You know where I live if you need anything." She smiled at him, touched by his offer.

"You're welcome Spike. And I will," she managed before he disappeared into the night, quietly closing the door behind himself. She let out a sigh before wearily starting to unpack and make this new place hers.


	3. Chats

Post Tabula Rasa fic

Spoilers up to Smashed, takes place during Wrecked, so some spoilers for that episode as well.

All characters are property of Joss Whedon, et al. I'm only using them for my story.

Rating: PG. So far nothing major has happened, but it may end up different after a while.

Summary: Spike helps Tara move out after Tabula Rasa, goes back to visit. So far it's following along with Season 6, but will probably go AU after a while.

I love feedback. email: 

In Noctem

Chapter 3

Chats

by feles-noctis

Spike found himself standing at a door, her door. A lot had happened since he had been here last, only a few days ago, but he felt like it had been a lifetime. The last time he had left, he went and found Buffy, and in his attempt to help her with what he had thought were demons, he ended up pissing her off by attacking human muggers. How was he to know she was fighting humans? She almost never fought anything except demons. Of course, that little encounter had ended up with him finding out that the chip no longer worked. But, of course, it only didn't work on Buffy, which led to their 'fight' when he had confronted her, their fight and everything else. She ran out on him this morning, after calling him nothing more than 'convenient'. He thought that maybe, after everything that had happened with them, that she would treat him differently. Treat him like she used to right before she died and when she had first come back. Treat him like a man. Accept him. But she had run.

And so, he had found himself at Glinda's door. Why he had come, he still couldn't figure, couldn't remember the reason that his tired brain had come up with. It might have had something with how kind she had been to him the last time she saw him, and he wanted to be around someone friendly after what had happened with the Slayer. So, he stood outside her door in the dank hallway in the basement of some shady apartment building, far away from the comforts and friends she used to be surrounded by. She had given it all up, including her love, because that same love had tried to make her into something she wasn't. Had tried to change her into something she could never be. He hadn't let himself acknowledge it until now, but he was quite proud of her, of her strength and determination. She had seen that things weren't right and had done what was needed. She had been strong enough to leave before it got desperate. Before things had gotten too dark.

She had been strong enough to pack up and leave even though it hurt, even though she could have lost everything. And so, he was standing there, outside her door, wanting to knock but afraid of her welcome. It was the only place he had felt welcome in a long time. She had said that he was welcome at any time, but that could have just been her being the polite host to the person who had helped her move. He doubted it, hoped it hadn't been just that, but was still too wary of his welcome to actually bring himself to knock. He wasn't sure what he would do if she turned him out too. He hated to admit it, but he was lonely.

He hadn't seen her since he helped her move, but then again he hadn't been included much in the Scooby meetings anymore. He hoped that they were at least still including her, not shutting her out completely like they did him, unless it was convenient for them. It wouldn't do to have her completely on the outs with her friends just because Red had been a fool and done that to her. Of course, he'd seen them close ranks before to outsiders. As he pondered it, he realized that that was what she was, now. An outsider, just like him.

He, Dawn, Anya and Tara. They were the outsiders, always trying to get in. Dawn was probably pushed out more than almost any of the others, simply for being the Slayer's little sister. The one they constantly felt they needed to protect from the things that go bump in the night, while she just wanted to see the world, to know what was out there for her. They kept her out while trying to smother her. He felt sorry for the girl sometimes, always having people try to hide her from what was out there. She was going to find out about it eventually, and he figured it was better that she learn from good sources than not know the truth. Anya was there, held to the group only by her connection to Xander. He still wondered, sometimes when he actually thought about the others, how exactly it was that Anya had ended up in the group at all. She was a former vengeance demon, one who had gone around maiming and killing men for over a thousand years, listening to no one except herself, and yet here she was after only a few years of being human, playing the doting girlfriend. She let herself be ignored and put down by those around her, simply to fit in. It was odd that she was an ex-demon demon hunter now. But at least she told things how they were, didn't sugar coat it. He could respect that.

And then he was brought back to where he was, Glinda's door. She had been the one who was always hiding in Red's shadow, always trying to blend into the background. Never wanting to be in center stage. The few times she'd actually brought attention to herself had been entirely unintentional - and had been for protection, of herself and those she cared about. When she was hiding from her family and had cast the spell because she thought she was a demon. When she had put her foot down concerning the well-being of Dawn that summer. When she had moved out. She had done a good job simply being there for the others, just blending into the background, but always taking care of everyone as best she could. Now she was on the outs with them, no guarantee that she would ever be allowed back in after having done so much for them. She deserved better than that.

He knew how it felt to be on the outside. He was the one who, no matter what he did, would never be accepted into the group. No matter how hard he tried, had yet to be acknowledged as anything but the evil being he once was. Of course, he knew that he had earned the title, had done more than enough to be considered evil, but he was trying. Trying to do what was right, not because he had to, but because he wanted to. He wanted to be better. He wasn't completely sure why, but he wanted to be better than he had been. Glinda was the only one who had even seemed to accept him, even after the months of fighting beside them. The others, except Dawn, put up with him because he could be helpful, because they had to, but other than that, they tried to ignore him whenever it was possible. Part of the reason the witch accepted him could be that she had only ever known him after the chip, after he had come to the Scoobies for help. She'd never seen him before he'd started working, albeit reluctantly, with them. He wondered what his welcome would be if she had known him then.

"Spike," her quiet voice cut through his thoughts, bringing him back to his surroundings. She stood on the bottom step, looking at him with confusion and surprise, her rummaging in her bags to find her keys forgotten. He couldn't tell how long she had been standing there watching him, but he hoped it hadn't been for long. He wasn't sure how to explain to her why he had been standing at her door since a few minutes after sunset, looking like a fool for so long without even knocking or leaving. "I-I'm sorry, I was dropping off Dawn. She w-was over studying. I hope I haven't kept you waiting too long." She rushed out as she quickly moved past him to open the door.

"'S alright, Glinda. Haven't been waiting long. Just wanted to stop by and see how you were." Of course, he wasn't really sure how long he had been standing, but it couldn't have been that long. Stopping in to check on her seemed like a logical reason to stop by. He hadn't seen her since he had helped her move. Hopefully she wouldn't ask too much into it, since he didn't really have any way to properly explain why he was there besides that. He didn't want to tell her it was because he wanted to be around someone who didn't treat him like a thing. It was hard enough to admit it to himself. She turned and smiled at him shyly before ushering him inside, apparently accepting his reasons as truth. He was relieved she didn't say anything about the still-healing bruises that he knew were visible. He didn't have to have a mirror to be able to see them. He hoped she just assumed they were from some demon.

Once he was inside, he immediately noticed that she had been working quite diligently the past few days to make the place her own. Even the feel of the it was much more welcoming and warm than it had been. The entire place looked like it had been cleaned and aired out. It looked so much brighter and homey, but he couldn't quite figure out why. The hideous chairs and couch in the living room were now covered with much more appealing fabric, the room was re-arranged with the extra clutter of unneeded furniture removed. She had a few pictures here and there on the walls and the boxes were gone, but otherwise it was mostly empty except for the few pieces of furniture. He did notice that she had put up protective charms around the room, he saw them hanging by the door and small windows. At least she was smart enough to put up some sort of protection for herself. She hadn't lived in Sunnydale long, but at least she remembered to keep herself safe. From what he could see of the kitchen, it looked like it was brighter as well.

Trying to pick up on what she had been saying when she saw him, he ventured, "So, how's the Bit, then? Keeping out of trouble?" Spike had missed seeing Dawn. Sure, she wasn't the Slayer, but he had gotten fond of her. She'd grown on him, and he hadn't realized just how much he missed spending time with her until now. He had basically forgotten about her since Buffy was brought back. It'd been even longer since he saw the little Summers than Glinda. He'd have to try to fix that. He watched as Tara busied herself around the apartment, cleaning up what had apparently been studying and snacks for her and Niblet.

"She's good. She got a bit upset with Buffy and W-W-Willow for leaving her alone last night after our movie and milkshake day. Well, not really alone, since she convinced me to stay with her till somebody showed up and that ended up being till this morning. But still, she was upset that they didn't call or anything when they didn't come home, especially since they didn't know that I was going to be there with her. She decided to be grumpy teen after they went to bed and came over here for a while today instead of being there where everyone was unconscious and everythign. I didn't mind, since I don't get that much company, not that I'm complaining or anything, because I'm not. It was nice to spend time with her again since I don't get to see her as much anymore. And so she came over and hung out for a while, did her homework and stuff. I got her home before dark, so don't worry about her being out after nightfall, but then I ended up stopping by the library for a bit to return a couple books I had borrowed for a paper before coming back, so that's why I was so late, since campus isn't exactly on the way from the house. I'm sorry, again for keeping you waiting. You weren't waiting for too long were you?" She kept rambling on and on as she cleaned and straightened the practically spotless apartment.

Spike stood in awed silence. He'd never heard that much out of Tara at once, and never that much without hardly a stutter. He couldn't blame her for stuttering Red's name. He probably would have had a hard time too. He wasn't about to object to the quiet witch being chatty, but it still surprised him. It was when she paused a minute to take a breath and looked at him that he realized that she was talking to keep herself calm and collected. She was upset, but didn't want him to know, didn't want to bother him with her problems. She had probably been running around all day trying to keep in whatever was bothering her. So instead of letting her start up again, he decided to interrupt. "Glinda? What's wrong?"

She stopped with her energized cleaning, looking at him like a deer caught in the headlights. "I-It's nothing," she meekly replied, hiding behind her hair, her stutter returning and hands nervously fluttering around, trying to find something to do. She gave up all attempts at trying to keep herself busy, and just stood in the entry to the kitchen, leaving the pile of dishes and other miscalaneous items on the counter. He couldn't tell what she was thinking, but Spike was pretty sure it wasn't about something happy.

"Glinda?"

She gave a sigh and quietly found her way to the nearest of the stools by the counter. She sat with a resigned thump, keeping her head bowed. "I-It was just W-W-Willow." A pause as she took a deep, unsteady breath. "S-She left Dawn alone so she could go out and do m-m-magic with Amy. Dawnie didn't w-want to be there while Buffy and W-Willow were sleeping, so she came over."

"Ah, so Red's back on the mojo?" No wonder the girl is upset. "I'd be a bit upset about that too, pet." He offered, sympathetically. She had moved out not just because of what Red had done to her, but because she wouldn't listen to reason about the magic. He'd seen how she didn't think Glinda knew what she was talking about, when it was clear the girl knew what was going on, probably better than any of the others.

"I-It's just, I h-h-haven't been gone that l-long and she said she w-would stop and she's out doing spells again. It's like - It's like," she trailed off, clearly too upset to keep talking. Spike immediatly went to her, trying to offer her comfort, but unsure of exactly how to do it without upsetting her further. He put an arm around her, hesitantly, and was greeted with quiet sobs. He nervously tried to pull back, but Tara's quiet voice stopped him. "Thank you, Spike. I'm s-sorry about doing this to you. I f-feel terrible about m-making a scene in front of you." She sniffed before looking up at him, eyes red and puffy, tears still running down her face despite her efforts to stop them. Before he could reply, she was gone, disappearing into a room. He watched her hasty retreat, confused.

She returned a minute later, tissues in hand. She smiled weakly at him. "S-sorry about that." She dried her eyes and blew her nose before going over to the couch, patting beside her in offering and apology. "W-what did you need?"

"Just wanted to check up on you, was all. See how you were." He wasn't about to let her know that he had come for comfort, for the company of someone who wouldn't treat him like dirt just because he was what he was. And he was actually getting it. After his initial worry of his welcome, she had completely dispelled that worry. He started to fidget, hoping she wouldn't pry further into his reasons more than what he had offered. And the truth was, he had been concerned about her. He had found her standing at a park bench in the middle of the night, crying her eyes out. It had worried him that she would be that distraught to simply ignore her potentially lethal surroundings.

She smiled at him, this time with more confidence. "Did you w-want anything? I've got blood." He gave her a look. "J-Just in case you decided to visit or anything," she added meekly, hiding behind her hair again.

He grinned at her thoughfulness. "That'd be nice, Glinda. Thanks." Count on Tara to think of buying blood just in case he stopped by again. He was actually feeling quite a bit better than he had been. Sure, the witch had just started crying and was upset, but she had been kind to him, entrusting him with her confidence. She silently got up and started rummaging around in the kitchen, finding a mug before rummaging in the fridge. He watched her as she went about preparing him a mug of warm blood. Once it was microwaving, she went digging around in the cupboards again. "I-I think I have some crackers around here. I remember you like texture."

"'S alright, luv. Don't do anything special just because of me," he said as he walked over, taking one of the stools by the counter. As he looked around a bit more, he realized that this wasn't that bad of an apartment. No where near as shoddy as he had first thought it to be. There was a large living room area connected to the kitchen by a doorway and counter. From what he could see, there was at least 1, if not 2 bedrooms along with the bathroom and a closet. It was rather roomy with drab colored walls, but Tara was doing a good job of covering up the drabness. It was still rather surprising how much furniture and miscalaneous small items had actually come with the apartment, but when the last tennant had probably disappeared overnight, it wasn't all that unexpected. She had been lucky with her good find.

Tara had seemed to calm down and get her control back, probably thanks to her attention being focused on something else. She had pulled out a box of Wheat-a-bix from her rummaging in the cupboards and plopped it on the counter as she went and pulled the mug out of the microwave. "Will that do?" she asked hopefully.

"That's perfect, luv. Thanks." He gave her a genuine smile, taking the mug from her. He drank in silence for a bit, watching her as she pulled out a water from the fridge and sat across from him, seeming to be lost in thought.

"Dawn w-wanted to come over some night. For movies and such. If - If you want, you're welcome too. I know she misses you. But if you don't w-want to, don't worry about it," she quietly asked, eyes never leaving the counter. He watched her as she nervously fiddled with a wrapper from some candy Dawn had left behind, keeping her eyes focused entirely on that.

He smiled at her thoughtfulness. They both knew that Buffy hadn't liked Dawn hanging out with Spike, especially not at the house or at his crypt, simply because of the locations. Big sis wouldn't have a problem if the Bit was hanging out at Glinda's and he 'happened' to show up. "Sounds nice. Let me know when the shindig is and I'll try to stop by. Been meaning to check in on the Bit." She offered a weak smile, before hiding behind her hair, still nervously shredding the wrapper. So far the night hadn't turned out like he had expected, but at least he wasn't being treated like dirt. He had been half expecting to find his invite revoked. The witch was treating him like any other person, and it was refreshing. She wasn't being nice just to get something from him and she wasn't trying to remind him of everything he used to be. She treated him like a person, not some evil thing.

"I can do that, Spike. You're still w-welcome here until then, too," she peeked up at him through her curtain of hair.

He offered a small smile in return. She really was much nicer to him than she should be. Especially since she was the one sitting there with the broken heart and was trying to make him feel welcome. True, things between him and the Slayer didn't seem much better than things between her and Red, especially after everything she had said to him and that look in her eyes when she had gotten up, but it could be worse. At least she wasn't dead again.

He looked at Glinda consideringly. She still had puffy eyes, but she seemed to be doing better. But, better safe than sorry. "You doing better, pet?" He watched as she looked up at him, clearly touched that he was concerned about her. She only nodded meekly in return. "That's good then. Anything you want to talk about?" A shake of her head, her hair covering her face more.

He couldn't figure out why, but he was starting to care about what happened to the witch. There was no true reason for him to, except for himself. She wasn't that close to the Slayer, hadn't been his other source for information on Dawn's antics for some time, and no longer lived in the house with the Summers women. It seemed rather odd, but he somehow had grown attached to her while she had been hiding in the shadows with him, away from the shining spotlight of the Slayer and Red. He found her power and hidden strength reassuring. She seemed like a timid mouse, but she had more than proved to him that she had backbone.

That was probably part of the reason he had convinced himself to come here, to see her strength and remember that he didn't have to sit around being treated like shit after everything that had happened with Buffy. Sure, she was hurting and lonely, but that was no reason for her to treat him like she did. Tara was hurting and lonely, too, and treated him kindly, even though they didn't really know each other very well. Sure, it was different being pulled from heaven or breaking up your girl and moving out, but the basic idea was the same, at least in his head. There were differences in the circumstances, but Glinda was still trying to be decent to those around her while the Slayer seemed to be taking out all of her anger and hurt on them. He had to remember to check on Glinda more often. She was, after all, here by herself. It wouldn't do to have something happen to her. Especially since she seemed to be the only Scooby, besides Dawn, that liked him. He was NOT going to think about the Slayer's feelings, admitted or not. She had made it quite clear how she felt. And right now, he was enjoying his time with the witch, who seemed to be enjoying his company as well.

Spike was a bit startled to realize that he and Glinda had somehow started talking while he was lost in thought. They had been going on about different drinks; tea, hot chocolate, coffee. He had apparently spaced out, but had been talking to the witch. She hadn't seemed to notice, but had stopped fidgeting with the wrapper. It lay in shreds on the counter. Luckily he managed to hop back into the conversation without losing the train of the converstaion, hopefully with more interest than he had been showing.

They ended up talking about random, little things for a while. He was amazed at how easy it was for them to talk about things. It didn't seemed forced or like they were trying to get something from each other besides company. They were sitting at her kitchen counter, talking about random things. There were no snide remarks or subtle and not-so-subtle hints that he should leave, nothing but a normal conversation. He couldn't remember the last time that had happened to him. It had been quite some time, if ever. She didn't want anything from him except his company and occasional comment. Her stutter had virtually disappeared, only really emerging when she tried to say Red's name.

Somehow they managed to bring the conversation around to what had happened that morning at the Summers' residence, only this time in more detail and quite a bit slower than the rushed explenation when he first got there. He was surprised to find out that Red had been out all night as well as the Slayer, at the Bronze and to who knows where with the ex-rat Amy. He tried but couldn't remember an Amy, but then again he might have not known her... it wasn't like he had been around for their entire lives or was really paying attention to any of them but the Slayer at first. Maybe she had been there.

From Tara's story it was clear that Red had gone and done nothing but have fun with the magic almost as soon as Glinda had moved out. That didn't sit well with him. He had seen how Red kept using more and more magic, and he remembered what had happened when they brought Buffy back. She was getting a bit power-hungry and not paying attention to the consequences for what she was doing. Plus, with almost 150 years of experience, he had seen the effects of too much mojo and knew that using as much magic as Red had been, it couldn't be healthy for her, especially the kinds of magic the girl had been prone to throughout the years. It always seemed to go wrong or have something happen that wasn't meant to.

He could see the pain and hurt in Glinda's eyes as she talked about it, but didn't interrupt. If she wanted to talk about it, he wasn't going to be the one to stop her. If the Slayer hadn't threatened his life, he might have considered talking about what had happened between them. It just seemed like he could have talked about it with her, and she wouldn't have condemned him for it or said that he was a bad influence. But, he didn't want her on the outs more than she already was with the Scoobies, so he kept his mouth shut and satsified himself with listening to her describe all the antics that Dawn had done that day.

It was always amazing the trouble the brunette managed to get into without even trying. Instead of staying home once Tara left, she had left a few minutes later, catching up with the witch before she got very far. Dawn hadn't wanted to be by herself, so the witch had suggested they go back to her place for a while.

Apparently, Dawn had been responsible for half of the changes in the apartment, since they had arrived and she immediately decided that it would be fun to help Tara redecorate. She had taken it upon herself to help Tara clean, rearrange, and redecorate the as many rooms as she could, including the guest bedroom - which answered his question as to how many bedrooms there were. The extra furniture had been stuffed in there until she could figure out exactly what to do with it. Dawn had some ideas, but the witch was reluctant to let her try her experiments, which was probably a good thing. She offered him a tour, but realized that he had basically seen everything already. The girls had gone to some store and picked up the different fabrics which now covered the chairs and couch along with the cleaning supplies and some of the pictures. They had spent the morning having fun, but then Tara had put her foot down about homework and made the teen concentrate on that. It was amazing how she always managed to talk Dawn into doing her homework, even when no one else could even get her to listen to them. She even managed to get the girl to WANT to clean. That was even more surprising. He recalled her managing similar things that summer too.

She tried include him more in the conversation and asked him if he wanted to talk about his day, but there really wasn't much that he could say. It was either something he couldn't really talk about or was boring beyond belief. Instead of pushing, they ended up talking about cooking, of all things. He knew she could cook, she had been the one who had done almost all of the cooking at the house. But she had been surprised to know that, if needed, Spike could put together rather edible 'human' food.

As the night went on, he was once again reminded that he was sitting in the kitchen with a witch, talking about whatever, not even caring that he was probably telling the girl more about himself than he had told anyone in quite some time. Sure he had told the Slayer about killing the other Slayers, but that had been different. It had been more of a job than this. This was like a conversation between friends. No pressure to talk about stuff if he didn't want to. It was nice.

The few times he caught himself slipping up and talking about some violent or gorey bit from his past, he kept expecting the witch to say something or get grossed out. Instead she was listening politely, as if it was completely normal. She didn't once get grossed out or ask him to stop. It made him feel even more impressed with the quiet girl in front of him. They had gone through the bag of blood and almost a pot of tea before he realized they had been talking for hours and the witch was getting tired. Instead of trying to keep her up, like he probably would have done in the past just because he wanted to be annoying, he decided to give the bird a break, especially since she HAD spent the entire day with the human energy ball known as Dawn.

When he finally left, she reminded him that he was welcome any time, and let him know that she would try to keep some blood in the fridge for him. She also reminded him that she would let him know when Dawn would be over so they could get together sometime. For some reason being with her was calming. It was nice to be able to sit and talk with someone without them yelling or screaming at him, even if it was about the little things or her breaking up with her girl. He had known she was kind, but had never really been the one she had focused that kindness on. It was rather overwhelming how considerate she was. She had done her best to make him feel at home, even though he was nothing more than a vampire who was in love with her ex-lover's best friend, who happened to be a vampire Slayer. When she went to hug him, he didn't even pause to grumble or try to refuse, but accepted it freely.

It wasn't until he was in the hall and headed up the stairs that he realized that he hadn't thought about the mess with Buffy hardly at all that night. He'd been too intent on listening to the witch talk with him. He smiled to himself as he started walking again. He was sure he would be back again, if nothing else just to enjoy the company of someone who didn't treat him like dirt. With more life in his step than he had arrived with, he went off into the night, intent on thinking about better things.

A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews, especially Moonjava and Home and Charmed. I appreciate all reviews, even if they're telling me how bad the fic is. I wasn't sure if anyone would actually be interested in this. It will EVENTUALLY be a Spike/Tara fic, but might take a while. I'm trying to stick with the cannon storyline for a while still before going totally AU. If there's any minor errors, please excuse them. If there's any major errors, please let me know so I can try to fix them. After this one, the chapters will probably be fewer and farther between, just because classes will be starting up again. I'm terrible with summaries, so if there's suggestions for a better one, I'd love it.

Thanks again for reading.

Feles-noctis


	4. Out for a Walk

Post Tabula Rasa fic

Spoilers up to Wrecked.

All characters are property of Joss Whedon, et al. I'm only using them for my story.

Rating: PG. So far nothing major has happened, but it may end up different after a while.

Summary: Spike helps Tara move out after Tabula Rasa, goes back to visit. So far it's following along with Season 6, but will probably go AU after a while.

I love feedback. email:

-----

In Noctem

Chapter 4

Out for a Walk

by feles-noctis

The Slayer had burst in, wanting help to find Dawn. Red had taken her out and they were nowhere to be found. If it had been Glinda the Bit was out with, he wouldn't have had a second thought about it. But it was Red, not Glinda. And he knew what she had been up to lately. Even the Slayer was worried about them. So he had gone with the Slayer willingly, even after how she had been treating him recently. He had gone for Platelet, not her. As they walked, it surprised him how much anger she had bottled up inside, and it hurt that she insisted to keep directing it all at him. He had tried to be what she wanted, what she needed. He had done what he thought was right and had ended up facing her wrath. So, he tried to talk to her, tried to make her see, but she refused to even listen to him like she used to when she first came back.

And so, he tried to ignore the hurt and focused on finding the Niblet, the Summers who, hopefully, still liked him. He felt a pang of regret at how much he had been ignoring her since the Slayer returned. Hopefully he could still make it up to her, if it wasn't too late already.

-----

After taking the Bit to the hospital and waiting with her and her sis, he was relieved to find out that his Niblet was still willing to talk with him, still liked seeing him, unlike her older sister. He left the two after he knew the Bit wasn't seriously hurt, needing to talk to someone. Unthinking, he started heading directly toward Glinda's. He absently hoped that she was still awake at this late hour. Spike didn't want to wake her, but knew that the events of the night were too important to not tell her. She needed to know, and he needed to talk. Glinda watched out more for the Bit than any of the other Scoobies ever had and deserved to know. He doubted any of the others would take the time to let Glinda know, unless she managed to get it out of the upset teen when they next saw each other.

He knew it could have waited until later, he could have left a note for her, or given her a phone call or something, but it just seemed best to get it done with as soon as possible. All of the Scoobies knew already. Buffy had immediately called Xander and Anya once they had gotten to the hospital. They had showed up and taken Willow back to the house. She deserved to know tonight, too. Plus, he needed to vent and he hoped she would be willing to listen.

As he continued his rapid, anger fueled trek to her apartment, he noticed a 24-hour coffee stand and decided to soften the possible waking of her with some hot chocolate. He knew she'd try to make something anyway once he got there, she always did, and this way it'd be ready right away. Plus it gave him a bit more time to calm down and control his anger before he faced her. He didn't want to snap at the girl for something she had no control over. She'd just blame herself more.

He had calmed considerably just watching the clerk make the drinks, taking in the calming aromas of the stand. He tossed some money at the clerk and grabbed his drinks, not waiting for his change. With his cargo in hand, he took off again towards his destination. In a few minutes of brisk walking he was standing at her doorstep. He paused only a minute before switching the drinks to one hand and knocking, rather loudly, on her door. He stood there, hoping she would answer.

-----

A/N: I know it's short, but I'm working on the next bit, which should be longer. Thanks everyone for the reviews, especially Rusco for pointing out I had it set to block unsigned reviews. I think I got it to switch to all reviews again, although my computer and I aren't agreeing completely with each other right now, so it might not have saved. Again, thanks for reading. This is my second fanfic ever, so please be patient with me...

Thanks again.

Feles-noctis


	5. Hot Chocolate

Post Tabula Rasa fic

Spoilers up to Wrecked.

All characters are property of Joss Whedon, et al. I'm only using them for my story.

Rating: PG. So far nothing major has happened, but it may end up different after a while.

Summary: Spike helps Tara move out after Tabula Rasa, goes back to visit. So far it's following along with Season 6, but will probably go AU after a while.

I love feedback. email: Noctem

Chapter 5

Hot Chocolate

by feles-noctis

Tara awoke to the sound of someone banging on her door. Quickly she stumbled through her room, grabbing a robe and wrapping it tightly around her as she made her way through the apartment. The demanding knocking caused her to hurry and stub her toe in the dark. "OW! Just a minute! I'm coming" she called as she limped the last bit of the way to the door. She sincerely hoped that there wasn't an apocalypse that needed her right now, but that was the only reason she could think of for someone to be at her door. They usually included running, and right now it hurt to walk. She wearily looked out the peephole in her door and was surprised to see bleached blond hair and a black jacket. Spike, she realized. Quickly, she undid the lock and opened the door, concerned. "Spike" she began, but was quickly cut off as he turned toward her.

"Can I come in, Glinda" She was a bit surprised. He almost sounded nervious she would turn him away.

"Of course, Spike. You know you're welcome here anytime you want." She moved out of his way as quickly as she could with a hurt toe as he rushed past, going directly to the kitchen counter and setting down the coffee cups. He fiddled with them a moment before swiftly turning and starting to pace back and forth between the couch and counter, his jacked swirling around him at every turn. "Spike? What's wrong" Tara questioned as she closed and locked the door, more than a bit nervious by the vampire's obviously upset state. She hadn't seen him this worked up in quite a while, if ever. She watched him for a while, growing more nervious as he ignored her questions and continued to pace. At last she tried again, louder. "Spike! What happened? Is everyone alright" She couldn't keep the hint of panic from her voice, but it served its purpose. He immediately stopped pacing, much to her relief, and turned to face her, seeming a bit surprised that she was in the room.

She stood, watching him as he took deep, unneeded breaths, obviously trying to calm himself before speaking to her. In the back of her mind she knew that if it had been something that needed immediate action, they would have already been gone, but the question of why he was here and what had him so upset was still unanswered. She slowly walked over to him, paying clsoe attention as he watched her every move, and took his hand gently in hers. He seemed stunned as she led him to the counter and sat him in one of the stools.

He couldn't help but look at their joined hands joined, amazed at the calming feeling that permiated him simply by her touch. It was like her peaceful nature was being passed to him. He couldn't remember feeling anything like it in his long existence. Then again, he thought, it could just be his imagination and agitated state. She sat across from him, just looking at him, worry evident on her face. He had come with the intent of telling her everything that had happened tonight, but when he looked at her, it was impossible for him to speak. She had already been so hurt by her ex. He didn't want to add more pain to that. But she deserved to know.

So, he gave her the hot chocolate, which, surprisingly to him, she drank without a second glance as he slowly began to tell her about his night. At first she sipped at the drink, but soon she had the styrofoam container in a death grip while her other hand sat loosely in his. Amazingly, she remained silent the entire time he spoke. He kept expecting her to interrupt him or ask questions, but she just sat and listened. He watched their joined hands the entire time, not wanting to look at her face and see the pain he was causing her. He knew he shouldn't feel bad about hurting the witch's feeling's, but she had been nice to him, had invited him into her home. She had been kind to him when he knew he didn't deserve it.

At last he finished"I'm sorry, pet. I just thought you deserved to know." Spike shook his head, realizing how stupid this plan of his had been. He'd woken the girl up in the middle of the night to tell her that her ex-lover had gone overboard with the magics and had gotten the Niblet hurt. Just what anyone wanted to be woken up to. He hadn't really thought too clearly on his way over. He had just wanted to talk to someone, to her.

"It's alright, Spike. Th-Thank you for telling me" she replied quietly, her tone causing him to look up at her finally. She gave his hand a squeeze before taking it back to hold the styrofoam cup. He had been expecting her to be crying or angry or something, but instead there was only sadness and pain and loss on her face, but no tears or anger. Instead there was a sort of determination, a realization that no matter what, things would never turn out the way she wanted. And he realized it too. As much as he wanted Buffy to admit she had feelings for him, that what they had done meant something, he knew by trying to corner her it would never work. She would never admit it as long as he kept pushing. Just like Tara knew that no matter what she tried to do for her ex, no matter what she said, it would never be enough for Red to stop. They had to chose to do it on their own. And so, he and the witch would either be destroyed trying to fix everything, or live with the pain that they couldn't do what was needed for their loves.

Incongruently she asked"Did you want to come over when Dawn spends the night sometime? I know she misses seeing you. I can let you know when she'll be over after dark, if you want." He looked up at her. He hadn't realized he had been staring silently at his hands for a while now. The look on her face from before was gone, replaced with a warm kindness he was unused to. He had seen that face when she had talked to Dawn and the others, but not him. It was strange to think that this girl could look at him so gently after everything she had been through while the Slayer only seemed to glare at him no matter what happened. The witch gave him kind looks even after he had ripped her heart out. He suddenly realized he had been comparing the two for a while now, and absently wondered when that had started. There were a few things similar about them, but mostly they were in two separate worlds in his mind. The witch was Red's and Buffy was the Slayer. Up until he had run into her in the graveyard, he'd hardly given her much thought besides when he had hit her on the nose and when she had been out of her mind. And here she was, inviting him in, talking with him at all hours of the night, and asking him if he wanted to come over to visit Dawn.

"Yeah, Glinda, that'd be nice." He gave her a small, slightly nervous smile, not quite sure what to make of her. She was so different from the others. She had seen him break the Scoobies apart when Adam had been around, had been told the stories of what he was capable of, had patrolled with him and seen the violence in him for herself, and yet here he was, sitting in her kitchen, drinking cocoa and chatting. It seemed so odd. It reminded him of times in the past with Joyce. She would invite him in and they would have drinks and sit and talk for hours, just to talk. He hadn't realized how much he missed that until now. Until the witch had given him that back.

He absently picked up his glass and took a long gulp, shuddering at the taste. He mock-glared at Glinda when she chuckled at him. He hadn't realized quite how long they had been sitting. His hot chocolate had gone cold and tasted terrible. "How about I make you a warm glass of blood instead? It has to be better than cold hot chocloate" she offered, getting up and starting to dig in the cupboards. He smiled at her thoughtfulness and went to dump out the offending liquid, snatching up her empty cup from the counter and throwing both away. She turned as he brushed back past her in the small kitchen, a confused look on her face for a moment as she eyed where the glasses had been, then look him in the eye and gave him a bright smile in thanks. He simply nodded his head and sat back down to watch her continue.

He spent the next few hours watching late-night television with her. She claimed she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep now that she was up, but Spike figured it was more not wanting to be alone than anything else. He had the same feeling. The television kept them from thinking too much on the painful events of the night and the jokes at the expense of the shows helped to hide the pain. When she started to doze off, he grabbed one of the blankets off the back of the sofa and covered her with it. It wouldn't do for her to catch cold. When he was sure she was fast asleep beside him and it was almost dawn, he turned off the television and silently left, wanting her to get as much sleep as possible.

When she awoke, she was covered up on the sofa. Her late night visitor was nowhere to be found. The sun was peeking in from one of the tiny windows, telling her that it was morning. She hoped that he had made it home alright. That day she got a visit from an upset Dawn and promises that she would be spending the night over at the apartment for the next couple days. Dawn's mood immediately brightened when Tara mentioned letting Spike know so he could come and see her. She had gone and dropped off a note at his crypt, but didn't want to wake him, so left it taped to the inside of the door, hoping she hadn't disturbed him or invaded his home while also hoping he would find the note. The rest of the day was spent worrying about Willow and Dawn and her classes, with the occasional thought to the note she had left the vampire.

A/N: Sorry it's so short again. I meant to have this up last week, but with the idea for a new story that needed to be written down before it was forgotten and then my internet crapping out for 3 days made it hard to get it up. With the ideas swimming for another story, I'm planning on updating this at the beginning of each month, so there'll be at least one chapter each month, maybe more depending on how much time I get. As always, thank you everyone for the wonderful reviews. It's great to know that someone likes this.


	6. 6: Pizzas

Disclaimer: All characters are property of Whedon, Mutant Enemy, etc. I'm just borrowing them for this story.

Time: Post Tabula Rasa

Spoilers: to Wrecked (takes place between episodes)

Rating: PG so far. May change later.

Summary: Spike helps Tara move out after Tabula Rasa. He's been going back to visit, and he and Dawn are making themselves at home with Tara. So far it's been following S6 rather well, but will go AU after a while.

Feedback: I love feedback. Feel free to email me at title is Latin. Roughly translated, it means "into the night"

In Noctem

Chapter 6

By Feles-noctis

Spike awoke a couple hours before dusk. He had slept the entire day through, something he hadn't done in a long time. Usually he would wake up in the middle of the afternoon and be stuck inside for hours, unable to get back to sleep. In fact, he'd been sleeping better more often lately. He got up and started wandering around his crypt when he noticed something on the inside of his door. It was a note.

_"Spike,_

_Dawn was going to come over tonight and staying for a couple days. _

_She was thrilled to find out you might be dropping by at some point. _

_I didn't tell her you'd definitely be there, but that you might stop by for a bit if you get a chance. _

_You're welcome over whenever you like._

_Tara"_

Spike read the note twice through. The Niblet was going to be at Glinda's and she wanted to see him. It was nice to be welcome somewhere. Instead of doing other stuff, he got ready and made his way through the tunnels towards Tara's end of town. Once it was dark, he made a quick sweep through the graveyards, ones where he knew the Slayer wouldn't be yet on rounds, and then made his way towards Glinda's place.

Instead of going directly there,Spike had stopped and grabbed a couple of pizza's on his way. He remembered that the Niblet had always loved pizza and grabbed her favorite for her along with some sodas. He was making his way down the stairs with a bounce in his step when his heart froze. Dawn was screaming. Without a thought, he quickly bounded down the remaining stairs and burst into Tara's apartment. Luckily she hadn't locked the door yet, or else he would have broken it while coming in.

Instead of carnage or a demon or something to fight, he was greeted by two startled faces staring at him in amazement. He stood, frozen in the doorway, unsure of what to do next. This was not what he was expecting. The two just stood in amazement, not moving either. At last Dawn broke the silence, "Spike? Are you ok?"

He came out of his daze and looked around the room one last time before answering. "Yeah, Niblet, I'm fine. Just thought there was some nasty or something," he added sheepishly, looking down at his feet.

"You thought what?" Dawn pressed.

He looked up at the smiling girl in somewhat annoyance. "Thought there was some nasty here bothering you with the way you were carrying on."

"Huh? Oh!" Comprehension dawned on her face. "No, there was nothing wrong. Tara was just telling me that we could go to the mall this weekend or something if I wanted. I guess I got a bit excited." She looked up at him apologetically, and he knew he couldn't stay mad at her.

"'S alright, Bit. How 'bout you take these things off me and put them in the kitchen," he said as he handed her the pizzas and drinks, which were quickly becoming room temperature. A huge smile crossed her face as she bounded toward the kitchen with the boxes, which was quickly accompanied by a squeal of excitement as she opened the boxes. "Hope you don't mind. Thought it was the least I could do seeing as you invited me over." Tara, who hadn't said anything yet since he'd entered, only smiled at him.

"Why don't you come in and take off your coat, unless you were just planning on bursting in, dropping off three large pizzas and a case of soda and then disappearing into the night?" she said as she smiled at him and started toward the kitchen. Taking the hint, he took off his jacket and hung it up on the hooks beside two other coats and closed the door. Noticing the collection of shoes at the door, he paused to take off his boots before joining them in the kitchen, where a pile of plates, napkins and glasses had joined the pizza and drinks. Watching Dawn bound around in excitement, he knew he was in for a long, long night.

A/N: Sorry it's so short and that it's been so long between updates. I ended up moving and lost the notebook I was writing this in. Thanks for the comments. I hope people are still interested in this. I will hopefully be updating again by next week with another chapter.


End file.
